See more results from the Citrus State of the Industry Survey, which asked growers about planting and variety and rootstock selections.
In a past blog, we shared the first round of results from the Citrus State of the Industry Survey, which was conducted by AgNet Media and published in a series of Citrus Industry articles. The first set of results were about Florida citrus grove conditions. The second look asked about planting and variety and rootstock selections. See the results below.
Citrus State of the Industry Survey: Planting and Variety and Rootstock Selections
The Citrus State of the Industry Survey resulted in these insights concerning planting and variety and rootstock selections:
- 46% of respondents said they were planting new citrus trees at the time of the survey; 54% reported they were not.
- “Growers’ preference for what they know is clear in the dominance of Valencia. The majority of grapefruit noted are the Ruby Red variety. The OLL varieties were mostly OLL 8. There were quite a few other varieties mentioned in small numbers.”
- “For the first time in this survey, X-639 has displaced US-942 as the top selection. There were several other rootstocks listed, but these were the most frequently mentioned. Of note, a few growers listed CarriCea T1, which is the new CRISPR rootstock that aims to help fight HLB.”
- 14% responded they were utilizing Citrus Under Protective Screens (CUPS), while 86% said they were not.
- 45% of “growers responding to the survey noted they are using funds to replant new trees, which is the major goal of the CRAFT Foundation. The CRAFT Existing Tree Therapies program funding is largely aimed at oxytetracycline injections and applications of plant growth regulators like gibberellic acid;” 55% were not.
- For the 2024-25 season, 4% maintained they harvested over 300 boxes per acre; 7% said 201-300 boxes; 20% said 101-200 boxes; 29% said 51-100 boxes; and 39% said 0-50 boxes per acre.
- “About half of the growers responding noted fruit quality during the 2024–25 season was average to good, but nearly 30% rated quality poor.”
- 67% reported they were committed to continuing to grow citrus; 11% said they planned to exit the industry; and 22% reported they were unsure.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.